Is it possible to cut off a corner of my new pre-made uninstalled laminate countertop? I was about to call someone else to install them when I realized that he had made a huge mistake -- he forgot to round the corner of the piece that measures 120 inches by 4 feet. Obviously, this is a huge piece that I cannot afford to have remade and I cannot use it the way it is. What am I going to do?
It is difficult to answer this question without knowing more details, but I will try to give you my best home improvement advice.
First of all, what type of edge is on the counter top. There are several different choices and some of them are as follows, matching laminate edge that is flat, roll top edge which is when the top is pre-formed from the manufacturer, a solid wood edge with either a beveled or routered top edge, matching laminate with a beveled wood edge and matching laminate with a matching laminate beveled edge.
The good news if you counter top has anyone of the above mentioned edges with the exception of the rounded over pre-formed edge, then the corner can be cut off. However, you will need to get a professional to do this for you and then he can install the tops.
The corner can be cut off using a high quality jig saw or small circular saw with a very fine blade and a good saw guide to get the straightest cut possible. Getting the edge to match will be the tricky part.
If it is a solid wood edge, you must make sure that you don't cut in to deep and go beyond the wood. In most cases a 3/4" thick piece of wood was used for the edge so you should measure from the point of the edge and measure no more the 3/4" but preferably 1/2". You can look underneath the top to see how thick the wood is. keepin mind the the edge grain will look different because it will be showing the end or cross grain.
This is just one of the examples of what you would need to do. But since I don't know what type of edge you do have, I am sort of in the dark here. So, again my suggestion is to hire a reputable laminate top pro or woodworker. This is not a do-it-yourself job unless you are very skilled and have all the right tools.
I would have a much better idea of what you need to do if you can email some photos of the countertop including the top, underside and the edges. With that I can give you a more detailed solution to your problem. You can send your email to:
askrick@showroom411.com
I hope this helps. Rick
Rick Maselli is Founder and Editor of Showroom411.com